Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, November 20
Manhattan, Kan.
4:30 p.m.
Kansas State University
vs
Baylor
K-State Takes on No. 11 Baylor on Senior Day
Nov 15, 2021 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Coming off a 34-17 win over West Virginia for its fourth win in a row, Kansas State hosts No. 11 Baylor on Saturday in its final home game of the 2021 season. The Senior Day contest against the Bears kicks at 4:30 p.m., and will be televised by FS1 with Aaron Goldsmith (play-by-play) and Mark Helfrich (analyst) on the call. The game can be heard across the 39-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. Fans can also catch the game on SiriusXM (S: 159; XM: 206; App: 968) in addition to The Varsity Network app.
A LOOK AT K-STATE
• K-State has put together four solid performances in a row in wins over Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas and West Virginia.
• Skylar Thompson has put together the best passing stretch of his career in the last six games. During that time, Thompson has thrown for 1,456 yards and nine touchdowns with just two interceptions on 114-of-158 (72.2%) aim.
• Thompson enters the week ranked sixth nationally in passing yards per attempt (9.64) and completion percentage (71.6%), while he is 11th in passing efficiency (164.9). The latter two marks are currently the best in school history.
• Thompson's favorite receiver this year has been Deuce Vaughn, who leads the team with 40 receptions for 427 yards and three scores.
• Vaughn has totaled 437 yards from scrimmage over the last four games (159.25 yards per game), which includes consecutive 100-yard rushing games against KU and WVU.
• This year, Vaughn has totaled 1,414 scrimmage yards (987 rush/427 receive) and 16 total touchdowns. He ranks eighth nationally in scrimmage yards per game (141.4).
• In his 20 career games, Vaughn has at least 100 scrimmage yards 15 times, which includes each of the last 12 games dating back to last year.
• Receivers Phillip Brooks, Malik Knowles and Landry Weber have combined for 68 receptions for 956 yards and five scores.
• The Wildcats, deploying a new 3-3-5 look and regularly rotating in over 25 players on defense, rank 19th in the nation and third in the Big 12 against the run (113.0 yds/gm).
• Linebackers Daniel Green (63) and Cody Fletcher (55) lead the team in tackles.
• Felix Anudike-Uzomah leads the nation in forced fumbles with six – which is tied for the school record – while he is third in sacks (11.0) and seventh in tackles for loss (14.0). A native of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Anudike-Uzomah is just a half sack shy of tying the school record.
• He earned three national player of the week awards and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following a school-record tying 4.0 sacks against TCU.
• Safety Russ Yeast – a transfer from Louisville – is tied for the Big 12 lead with three interceptions, while he had four total passes defended against West Virginia to tie for the eighth-best mark in the nation this year.
• Punter Ty Zentner ranks third in the Big 12 with a 45.0-yard average.
• Malik Knowles has returned two kickoffs for a touchdown, and he ranks second in the nation with a 32.1-yard average.
A LOOK AT BAYLOR
• Baylor heads into Saturday with an 8-2 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Big 12 play.
• The Bears are coming off a 27-14 win over fourth-ranked Oklahoma and remain in contention for the berth in the Big 12 Championship game.
• Baylor is led on offense by quarterback Gerry Bohanon and running back Abram Smith. Bohanon has thrown for 16 scores and run for nine more, while Smith has rushed for 1,203 yards to lead a very potent rushing attack.
• Defensively, Baylor ranks 26th nationally against the run, 20th in scoring defense and 43rd in total defense.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
• The all-time series between K-State and Baylor is tied, 9-9, with eight of K-State's nine since coming as Big 12 foes.
• The Wildcats won the first five games against the Bears, which stands as the longest winning streak by either program in the series. Baylor's longest winning streak was four games between 2012 and 2015, while BU is on a current three-game streak.
• K-State's last win over Baylor was a 33-20 triumph in Manhattan in 2017, while the Wildcats won the year prior, 42-21, in Waco.
• Two of the last three meetings have been close as Baylor won, 37-34, in 2018 and 32-31 last year, both on last-minute field goals.
SENIOR DAY
• Saturday's contest against Baylor marks Senior Day in Manhattan, as K-State will recognize 31 players that will be participating in their final home game.
• The list includes five sixth-year seniors in linebacker Cody Fletcher, offensive lineman Noah Johnson, defensive end Bronson Massie, defensive back Jahron McPherson and quarterback Skylar Thompson.
ONE OF THE BIG 12'S BEST
• K-State ranks third in Big 12 with 126 wins since the league's inception in 1996, trailing only Oklahoma (165) and Texas (142).
• The Wildcats also rank third in the conference in winning percentage since round-robin play began in 2011. They sit at 58.8% (57-40), trailing only Oklahoma (82.3%; 79-17) and Oklahoma State (66.0%; 64-33).
BOWL BOUND
• With wins over Kansas and West Virginia, K-State moved to 7-3 and will play in a bowl game for the 23rd time in school history at the conclusion of the 2021 regular season.
• Chris Klieman will be the first head coach in school history to have his team play in a bowl game twice in the first three seasons and to be bowl eligible for his first three years at the helm.
• Of the 23 bowl appearances, 22 will have come since 1990, which includes this season.
• Entering the 2021 season, Kansas State's 21 bowls since 1993 was tied for 19th in the nation and ranked fourth in the Big 12.
WINNING THE FINAL FRAME
• Kansas State has been strong in the fourth quarter of games this season, as the Wildcats are outscoring their opponents, 98-37, in the final frame.
• The 61-point margin in the fourth quarter this year is the highest mark in the Big 12.
• The 61-point margin through the first 10 games of 2021 is the highest by the Wildcats through 10 games since the 2012 squad held a 65-point margin (124-59).
IMPRESSIVE RESUME
• The three opponents that the Wildcats defeated in non-conference play – Stanford, Southern Illinois and Nevada – have combined for a 17-10 record in their other games.
• K-State's first two Big 12 opponents – Oklahoma (12th) and Oklahoma State (9th) – are each in the top 12 of this week's Associated Press Poll.
• Southern Illinois has turned out to be one of the best FCS teams in the nation, ranking 16th in this week's Coaches' Poll.
A WINNING HISTORY
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 91-27 career record, as his 77.1% career winning percentage ranks third among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least eight years and 14th among NCAA coaches.
• Klieman came to Manhattan after capping his five-year stint as head coach at North Dakota State by winning his fourth national championship in 2018. He guided the 2018 Bison to a perfect 15-0 record.
CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 23 seasons as it has 125 since 1999, eight more than the next closest team.
• Kansas State has three non-offensive scores this year as Malik Knowles returned a kickoff for a touchdown at Oklahoma State and against Oklahoma, and Marvin Martin returned a block punt for a score against West Virginia.
• K-State has had at least five non-offensive scores in seven of the last 10 years. Last year, the Cats missed that mark by just one during their shortened 10-game schedule.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
DOWN THE FIELD
• Traditionally a run-oriented offense, the Wildcats have been pushing the ball down the field more this year, as K-State is tied for 16th nationally with nine plays of 50 or more yards.
• K-State started the season with at least one 50-yard play from scrimmage in its first five games to become the first Wildcat team with a five-game streak since at least 1988.
• Of the nine total 50-yard plays by K-State this year, seven have been passes, including scores by Daniel Imatorbhebhe against Nevada (68 yards) and TCU (73 yards), Malik Knowles vs. KU (68 yards) and Deuce Vaughn at Oklahoma State (55 yards). Vaughn has the two lone rushes of 50 or more yards, going for a 59-yard touchdown in the season opener against Stanford and an 80-yard score at Kansas.
• His touchdown against the Jayhawks was the first time the Wildcats scored on their first offensive play of the second half since the 2009 Texas A&M game.
• Vaughn has 48 touches that have gone for 10 or more yards to rank to third in the nation and tops among Power 5 players
• With 219 total plays this year (179 rushes/40 catches), Vaughn is gaining at least 10 yards 21.9% of the time he touches the ball.
YARDS PER PLAY
• Through 10 games, K-State is averaging 6.3 yards per play as an offense (3,712 yards on 587 snaps). The school record is 6.47 set back in 1998, while the 2013 squad averaged 6.32.
RED ZONE SUCCESS
• In the first two-plus years under offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham, Kansas State has converted on 112-of-121(92.6%) of its red zone opportunities, which includes 80 touchdowns.
• Included in that is a streak of 67-straight red zone conversions, as the Wildcats were true on their final 39 tries of 2019 and their first 24 opportunities of 2020.
• K-State's 92.6% conversion rate since 2019 ranks second in the Big 12.
• The Wildcats are the only team in the nation to rank in the top five in red zone offense each of the previous two years, leading the nation in 2019 (96.2%) and ranking fourth last year (93.9%).
TOTAL OFFENSE
• Kansas State totaled 504 yards of offense against Kansas, the first time the Wildcats hit the 500-yard mark since the first two games of 2019 against Nicholls and Bowling Green.
• It was the first time K-State produced 500 yards in a Big 12 game since going for 505 yards against Kansas in 2014.
• The Wildcats were extremely balanced against the Jayhawks as they passed for 262 yards and rushed for 242 yards.
• It was the fourth time this season K-State rushed for over 200 yards, also hitting the mark against Stanford (200), Southern Illinois (208) and Nevada (269).
• The Wildcats have produced at least four 200-yard rushing games twice in the last three seasons.
GO FOR IT
• K-State currently is 12-for-14 this season on fourth down, which ranks second nationally in conversion percentage at 85.7%. Coastal Carolina leads the country at 87.5% (7-for-8).
• The 12 conversions are the most since the 2010 team had 13, which occurred on 20 attempts in a full 13-game season.
• K-State's current 87.5% mark is its best since at least 1995.
AN EXPERIENCED, WINNING SIGNAL CALLER
• Skylar Thompson has started each of the last six games after missing the previous two contests due to injury.
• Thompson has started 38 career games, the most by a Wildcat since at least 1990. Of those 38 starts, the Wildcats have 23 victories, as he has the most wins among starting K-State signal callers since 1990.
• Thompson topped the previous high mark of 22 held by Ell Roberson, Collin Klein and Michael Bishop.
CUTTING IT LOOSE
• Since returning from injury, Skylar Thompson has combined to go 114-of-158 (72.2%) for 1,456 yards with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions.
• As a result, Thompson ranks highly in many national passing categories entering the week, including No. 6 marks in yards per attempt (9.64) and completion percentage (71.6%), while he is 11th in pass efficiency (164.9).
• The latter two marks are currently tops in school history.
• Thompson threw for 306 yards at Texas Tech on 24-for-30 accuracy, as his 80% completion mark against the Red Raiders was a career-best.
• Thompson's performance at Texas Tech included a 14-for-15 clip in the second half. His 93.3% completion rate in the final 30 minutes was highest in one half (minimum 15 attempts) by a K-State quarterback since Josh Freeman went 15-for-16 (93.75%) in the first half at Colorado in 2006.
• At Kansas, Thompson connected on 12 of his first 13 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. He finished the game by completing 79.2% of his passes (19-of-24), the second-highest percentage of his career.
FIRST IN SCHOOL HISTORY
• During the game at Texas Tech, Skylar Thompson became the first player in school history to throw for 6,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a career.
• Additionally, the Independence Missouri, native ranks in the top 10 in school history in 15 career categories. A detailed list of records can be found on pages 58-60.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
• A product of Round Rock, Texas, Deuce Vaughn has 987 rushing yards this season as he is close to producing the 17th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history.
• It would only be the third time in school history a freshman or sophomore reached 1,000 rushing yards in a year, a feat accomplished by sophomore Darren Sproles in 2002 (1,465) and sophomore Cornelius Davis in 1966 (1,028).
• Vaughn currently ranks third in school history in rushing yards by a sophomore.
• Coming into the Baylor game, Vaughn has carried the ball 179 times this year as he eyes being one of the fastest players in school history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season.
ALL-PURPOSE BACK
• A product of Round Rock, Texas, Deuce Vaughn is the only player in the nation with 900 or more rushing yards and 400 or more receiving yards.
• Vaughn ranks eighth in the nation in yards from scrimmage (141.4 yard per game), while he ranks 10th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game.
• With 13 more rushing yards and 73 more receiving yards, Vaughn can become the fourth player in Big 12 history and just the third nationally in the last five years with 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a single season.
ON THE RECEIVING END
• An accomplished receiver both out of the backfield and from the slot, Deuce Vaughn ranks second in school history among running backs/fullbacks with 861 career receiving yards, while he his fourth in receptions (65).
• Vaughn ranks second in the nation in receiving yards by a running back since the beginning of 2020.
• Vaughn leads all Big 12 running backs in receptions (40) and yards (427) this year, while he is second in TD catches (3).
• Vaughn is trying to become the first player in school history with 1,000 career yards as both a rusher and a receiver. The closest a Wildcat came to accomplishing that feat was Mack Herron (1968-69), who had 1,244 receiving yards and 815 rushing yards.
• If Vaughn hit the 1,000/1,000 mark, he would be one of only 11 players in Big 12 history to do so. However, if he did so this year, he would become just the second to reach the milestone as a sophomore (Taurean Henderson, Texas Tech), which would be impressive considering Vaughn's young career included a shortened 10-game freshman season in 2020 due to COVID-19.
WELL-TRAVELED TIGHT END
• Transfer tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe is making a splash with the Cats in his seventh and final season of college football.
• Imatorbhebhe is third among Big 12 tight ends with 274 receiving yards. That mark includes touchdowns of 68 yards (vs. Nevada) and 73 yards (vs. TCU), the latter being the second-longest reception by a tight end in school history.
• He is the only tight end in the nation this year with two receptions of 65 yards or longer, while he is the first K-State tight end with two in a season since at least 1977.
• K-State is Imatorbhebhe's fourth FBS school as he signed and went through spring practices with Florida in 2015, transferred to USC for the 2015 through 2019 seasons and spent the 2020 campaign at Illinois.
MALIK MAKING MOVES
• Wide receiver Malik Knowles became the 33rd player in school history to eclipse the career 1,000-yard receiving mark during the Kansas game.
• Knowles, who enters this week with 1,042 career yards, has 10 career receiving touchdowns to sit just one shy of entering the school's top-10 list.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
RUN STOPPERS
• K-State has allowed just 1,130 total yards rushing on 329 carries, as the Wildcats rank 19th nationally and third in the Big 12 in rushing yards allowed per game (113.0).
• It is a stark difference from last season as the Wildcats allowed 177.2 rushing yards per game to rank 78th in the nation and seventh in the league.
• K-State's current mark of 113.0 rushing yards allowed per game rank eighth in the nation and is the best mark since the 2009 team allowed 105.4 yards per game.
FEWER EXPLOSIVES
• One area of emphasis for the Wildcat defense in 2021 was to limit opponents' explosive plays. Through the first 10 games, K-State has allowed 37 plays of 20 or more yards to rank third in the Big 12.
• It is the Wildcats' fewest 20-plus yard plays allowed through 11 games since the 2014 team surrendered 29. In 10 games last year, K-State conceded 60 plays of 20 or more yards.
BEHIND THE LINE
• K-State has tallied at least six tackles for loss in eight of the 10 games this year, as 24 players have at least a half TFL.
• With 68 TFLs this year, K-State is on pace for 88 tackles for loss this year, which would be its highest mark since the 2006 team had 91 to tie for eighth in school history.
• The Wildcats tallied a season-high 10 TFLs against TCU, the most since they had 13 at Baylor last year.
MEET ME AT THE QB
• Through 10 games, K-State is ranked second in the Big 12 at 2.60 sacks per game (26 total).
• Kansas State has at least one sack in 31 of the 33 games since Chris Klieman took over as head coach in 2019 with the lone non-sack games being the 2019 opener against Nicholls and this year against Iowa State.
• Last season, K-State totaled 28 sacks in 10 games, which were the most for the Wildcats during an entire season since a 13-game 2016 campaign (30).
• K-State is on pace for 34 sacks, which would be its highest mark since the 2015 team had 38.
STRONG AT THE START
• The K-State defense has been strong at the beginning of games since the start of 2020 as 13 of the Wildcats' last 20 opponents have come up empty on their first possession of the game.
• Over the last 20 games, K-State has allowed only 22 total first downs (1.1 per game), while drives have covered just 560 total yards (28.0 yards).
• Included in that span is four three-and-outs and interceptions this year against Nevada and West Virginia.
DEPTH IN THE SECONDARY
• Of the six defensive transfers K-State brought in prior to the 2021 season, four are in the secondary.
• Including the 2021 season, that group has combined for 102 career Division I starts by Julius Brents, Cincere Mason, Reggie Stubblefield and Russ Yeast.
• Pairing the 102 starts from the transfers with the rest of the secondary, the Wildcats are currently at 186 combined career starts by defensive backs.
KING FELIX
• Defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah has broken out during his sophomore season as he leads the nation in forced fumbles (6), ranks third in sacks (11.0) and seventh in tackles for loss (14.0).
• A native of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Anudike-Uzomah has 11.0 sacks this season to tie for fifth in school history, and he is just a half sack shy of tying the school record.
• Ranking fourth on the team in tackles with 42, Anudike-Uzomah has 14.0 TFLs this year as 33.3% of his tackles have resulted in lost yardage.
• Anudike-Uzomah has recorded at least 3.0 sacks in two games, one of only three players in the nation this year to accomplish that feat and the first in school history with two 3.0-sack games in a season.
FELIX'S HISTORIC GAME
• Felix Anudike-Uzomah tallied 4.0 sacks, forced two fumbles and eight tackles against TCU, earning him three national defensive player of the week accolades in addition to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• His four sacks tied the school record originally set by Chris Johnson at Missouri in 2000. However, Anudike-Uzomah was close to tying the NCAA record of 6.0.
• His two forced fumbles came on potential sacks that caused the ball to be recovered beyond the original line of scrimmage, thus making them rushes by NCAA rule. If the ball had been recovered on the TCU side of the line – regardless of who recovered – those two would have been counted as sacks to tie the FBS record and break the Big 12 mark.
DEFENSE'S "DEUCE"
• Nicknamed "Deuce" by the defensive staff, linebacker Daniel Green has been impressive as a full-time starter for the first time in his career.
• Green leads the team with 63 tackles and ranks second with 9.5 tackles for loss despite missing two full halves this year due to targeting calls.
• A product of Portland, Oregon, Green has totaled nine tackles in three different games this season, coming against Stanford, Nevada and TCU. It is the second time in three years a Wildcat has posted at least nine tackles in three different games (Elijah Sullivan in 2019).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• One of the main reasons the Wildcats have been a successful program the last three decades is a knack for momentum-swinging plays in the return game.
• Since 2005 (17 seasons), the Wildcats have a combined 58 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns, 21 more than second-place Alabama (37) and 27 more than the next closest Big 12 team (Oklahoma State: 31).
• Of the 58 total returns, a nation-leading 31 are on kickoff returns. The next closest team is San Diego State with 19.
DEFENSE ON KICK RETURNS
• On the flipside, K-State has excelled in kickoff-return defense, as the Wildcats have gone 108-consecutive games and 351 kickoff returns defended without allowing a score. The last team to take one to paydirt on K-State was Louisiana in 2013.
• K-State 108-game streak ranks seventh in the nation behind Florida State (232), Memphis (167), Akron (130), Virginia Tech (113), UTEP (111) and New Mexico (109).
• The Wildcats have scored 14 kickoff-return touchdowns since surrendering their last one.
KNOWLES WITH A KNACK
• Junior Malik Knowles is the latest K-State kickoff return man with a knack of finding the end zone as he has three in his career, which includes scores this year against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
• Knowles is tied for fourth in school history in both career and single-season kickoff return touchdowns, while he is tied for fourth nationally among active players in career kickoff-return scores.
• Additionally, he holds a 32.1-yard average this year and a 28.1-yard average for his career. His mark this season ranks third in the nation, while his career figure ranks seventh nationally among active players. Both marks are also currently sixth in school history in their respective categories.
ZENTNER HAS BEEN IMPRESSIVE
• Punter Ty Zentner has averaged 45.0 yards per punt overall this year to rank third in the Big 12. His average would rank in the top 25 nationally if he had six more punts to meet the NCAA required minimum.
• In Big 12 games only, Zentner has averaged 47.5 yards per punt, which includes a league-leading 11 punts of 50 or more yards. Last season, Zentner only had five total punts of 50 or more yards.
• At Texas Tech, Zentner had a single game career-best average of 55.7 yards per punt, which ranks 11th in the nation for a game this season.
• One of his punts against the Red Raiders was a 63-yarder – the second longest of his career – which immediately preceded at K-State safety that swung the game in the Wildcats' favor.
BROOKS LOOKS TO ADD TO IMPRESSIVE RESUME
• Junior Phillip Brooks was one of the top return men in the nation last season as he was a Third Team All-American selection after averaging 23.7 yards on 11 attempts.
• This year, Brooks has earned Preseason All-America honors from Phil Steele, USA TODAY, CBS Sports and 247Sports.
• A product of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Brooks ranks second in school history and tied for sixth in Big 12 history with three punt-return touchdowns, while he has 454 career punt-return yards to rank 10th in school history.
• He ranks second nationally among active players in yards per return (16.8) and first in punt-return touchdowns (3).
TENNANT SEES FIRST ACTION
• True freshman Chris Tennant has served as the primary kicker each of the last three games, as he is 3-for-5 on field-goal attempts and a perfect 13-for-13 on extra points.
• Tennant is the first true freshman at K-State to make a field goal since Joe Rheem went 4-of-6 on field goals in 2001.
A LOOK AT K-STATE
• K-State has put together four solid performances in a row in wins over Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas and West Virginia.
• Skylar Thompson has put together the best passing stretch of his career in the last six games. During that time, Thompson has thrown for 1,456 yards and nine touchdowns with just two interceptions on 114-of-158 (72.2%) aim.
• Thompson enters the week ranked sixth nationally in passing yards per attempt (9.64) and completion percentage (71.6%), while he is 11th in passing efficiency (164.9). The latter two marks are currently the best in school history.
• Thompson's favorite receiver this year has been Deuce Vaughn, who leads the team with 40 receptions for 427 yards and three scores.
• Vaughn has totaled 437 yards from scrimmage over the last four games (159.25 yards per game), which includes consecutive 100-yard rushing games against KU and WVU.
• This year, Vaughn has totaled 1,414 scrimmage yards (987 rush/427 receive) and 16 total touchdowns. He ranks eighth nationally in scrimmage yards per game (141.4).
• In his 20 career games, Vaughn has at least 100 scrimmage yards 15 times, which includes each of the last 12 games dating back to last year.
• Receivers Phillip Brooks, Malik Knowles and Landry Weber have combined for 68 receptions for 956 yards and five scores.
• The Wildcats, deploying a new 3-3-5 look and regularly rotating in over 25 players on defense, rank 19th in the nation and third in the Big 12 against the run (113.0 yds/gm).
• Linebackers Daniel Green (63) and Cody Fletcher (55) lead the team in tackles.
• Felix Anudike-Uzomah leads the nation in forced fumbles with six – which is tied for the school record – while he is third in sacks (11.0) and seventh in tackles for loss (14.0). A native of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Anudike-Uzomah is just a half sack shy of tying the school record.
• He earned three national player of the week awards and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following a school-record tying 4.0 sacks against TCU.
• Safety Russ Yeast – a transfer from Louisville – is tied for the Big 12 lead with three interceptions, while he had four total passes defended against West Virginia to tie for the eighth-best mark in the nation this year.
• Punter Ty Zentner ranks third in the Big 12 with a 45.0-yard average.
• Malik Knowles has returned two kickoffs for a touchdown, and he ranks second in the nation with a 32.1-yard average.
A LOOK AT BAYLOR
• Baylor heads into Saturday with an 8-2 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Big 12 play.
• The Bears are coming off a 27-14 win over fourth-ranked Oklahoma and remain in contention for the berth in the Big 12 Championship game.
• Baylor is led on offense by quarterback Gerry Bohanon and running back Abram Smith. Bohanon has thrown for 16 scores and run for nine more, while Smith has rushed for 1,203 yards to lead a very potent rushing attack.
• Defensively, Baylor ranks 26th nationally against the run, 20th in scoring defense and 43rd in total defense.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
• The all-time series between K-State and Baylor is tied, 9-9, with eight of K-State's nine since coming as Big 12 foes.
• The Wildcats won the first five games against the Bears, which stands as the longest winning streak by either program in the series. Baylor's longest winning streak was four games between 2012 and 2015, while BU is on a current three-game streak.
• K-State's last win over Baylor was a 33-20 triumph in Manhattan in 2017, while the Wildcats won the year prior, 42-21, in Waco.
• Two of the last three meetings have been close as Baylor won, 37-34, in 2018 and 32-31 last year, both on last-minute field goals.
SENIOR DAY
• Saturday's contest against Baylor marks Senior Day in Manhattan, as K-State will recognize 31 players that will be participating in their final home game.
• The list includes five sixth-year seniors in linebacker Cody Fletcher, offensive lineman Noah Johnson, defensive end Bronson Massie, defensive back Jahron McPherson and quarterback Skylar Thompson.
ONE OF THE BIG 12'S BEST
• K-State ranks third in Big 12 with 126 wins since the league's inception in 1996, trailing only Oklahoma (165) and Texas (142).
• The Wildcats also rank third in the conference in winning percentage since round-robin play began in 2011. They sit at 58.8% (57-40), trailing only Oklahoma (82.3%; 79-17) and Oklahoma State (66.0%; 64-33).
BOWL BOUND
• With wins over Kansas and West Virginia, K-State moved to 7-3 and will play in a bowl game for the 23rd time in school history at the conclusion of the 2021 regular season.
• Chris Klieman will be the first head coach in school history to have his team play in a bowl game twice in the first three seasons and to be bowl eligible for his first three years at the helm.
• Of the 23 bowl appearances, 22 will have come since 1990, which includes this season.
• Entering the 2021 season, Kansas State's 21 bowls since 1993 was tied for 19th in the nation and ranked fourth in the Big 12.
WINNING THE FINAL FRAME
• Kansas State has been strong in the fourth quarter of games this season, as the Wildcats are outscoring their opponents, 98-37, in the final frame.
• The 61-point margin in the fourth quarter this year is the highest mark in the Big 12.
• The 61-point margin through the first 10 games of 2021 is the highest by the Wildcats through 10 games since the 2012 squad held a 65-point margin (124-59).
IMPRESSIVE RESUME
• The three opponents that the Wildcats defeated in non-conference play – Stanford, Southern Illinois and Nevada – have combined for a 17-10 record in their other games.
• K-State's first two Big 12 opponents – Oklahoma (12th) and Oklahoma State (9th) – are each in the top 12 of this week's Associated Press Poll.
• Southern Illinois has turned out to be one of the best FCS teams in the nation, ranking 16th in this week's Coaches' Poll.
A WINNING HISTORY
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 91-27 career record, as his 77.1% career winning percentage ranks third among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least eight years and 14th among NCAA coaches.
• Klieman came to Manhattan after capping his five-year stint as head coach at North Dakota State by winning his fourth national championship in 2018. He guided the 2018 Bison to a perfect 15-0 record.
CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 23 seasons as it has 125 since 1999, eight more than the next closest team.
• Kansas State has three non-offensive scores this year as Malik Knowles returned a kickoff for a touchdown at Oklahoma State and against Oklahoma, and Marvin Martin returned a block punt for a score against West Virginia.
• K-State has had at least five non-offensive scores in seven of the last 10 years. Last year, the Cats missed that mark by just one during their shortened 10-game schedule.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
DOWN THE FIELD
• Traditionally a run-oriented offense, the Wildcats have been pushing the ball down the field more this year, as K-State is tied for 16th nationally with nine plays of 50 or more yards.
• K-State started the season with at least one 50-yard play from scrimmage in its first five games to become the first Wildcat team with a five-game streak since at least 1988.
• Of the nine total 50-yard plays by K-State this year, seven have been passes, including scores by Daniel Imatorbhebhe against Nevada (68 yards) and TCU (73 yards), Malik Knowles vs. KU (68 yards) and Deuce Vaughn at Oklahoma State (55 yards). Vaughn has the two lone rushes of 50 or more yards, going for a 59-yard touchdown in the season opener against Stanford and an 80-yard score at Kansas.
• His touchdown against the Jayhawks was the first time the Wildcats scored on their first offensive play of the second half since the 2009 Texas A&M game.
• Vaughn has 48 touches that have gone for 10 or more yards to rank to third in the nation and tops among Power 5 players
• With 219 total plays this year (179 rushes/40 catches), Vaughn is gaining at least 10 yards 21.9% of the time he touches the ball.
YARDS PER PLAY
• Through 10 games, K-State is averaging 6.3 yards per play as an offense (3,712 yards on 587 snaps). The school record is 6.47 set back in 1998, while the 2013 squad averaged 6.32.
RED ZONE SUCCESS
• In the first two-plus years under offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham, Kansas State has converted on 112-of-121(92.6%) of its red zone opportunities, which includes 80 touchdowns.
• Included in that is a streak of 67-straight red zone conversions, as the Wildcats were true on their final 39 tries of 2019 and their first 24 opportunities of 2020.
• K-State's 92.6% conversion rate since 2019 ranks second in the Big 12.
• The Wildcats are the only team in the nation to rank in the top five in red zone offense each of the previous two years, leading the nation in 2019 (96.2%) and ranking fourth last year (93.9%).
TOTAL OFFENSE
• Kansas State totaled 504 yards of offense against Kansas, the first time the Wildcats hit the 500-yard mark since the first two games of 2019 against Nicholls and Bowling Green.
• It was the first time K-State produced 500 yards in a Big 12 game since going for 505 yards against Kansas in 2014.
• The Wildcats were extremely balanced against the Jayhawks as they passed for 262 yards and rushed for 242 yards.
• It was the fourth time this season K-State rushed for over 200 yards, also hitting the mark against Stanford (200), Southern Illinois (208) and Nevada (269).
• The Wildcats have produced at least four 200-yard rushing games twice in the last three seasons.
GO FOR IT
• K-State currently is 12-for-14 this season on fourth down, which ranks second nationally in conversion percentage at 85.7%. Coastal Carolina leads the country at 87.5% (7-for-8).
• The 12 conversions are the most since the 2010 team had 13, which occurred on 20 attempts in a full 13-game season.
• K-State's current 87.5% mark is its best since at least 1995.
AN EXPERIENCED, WINNING SIGNAL CALLER
• Skylar Thompson has started each of the last six games after missing the previous two contests due to injury.
• Thompson has started 38 career games, the most by a Wildcat since at least 1990. Of those 38 starts, the Wildcats have 23 victories, as he has the most wins among starting K-State signal callers since 1990.
• Thompson topped the previous high mark of 22 held by Ell Roberson, Collin Klein and Michael Bishop.
CUTTING IT LOOSE
• Since returning from injury, Skylar Thompson has combined to go 114-of-158 (72.2%) for 1,456 yards with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions.
• As a result, Thompson ranks highly in many national passing categories entering the week, including No. 6 marks in yards per attempt (9.64) and completion percentage (71.6%), while he is 11th in pass efficiency (164.9).
• The latter two marks are currently tops in school history.
• Thompson threw for 306 yards at Texas Tech on 24-for-30 accuracy, as his 80% completion mark against the Red Raiders was a career-best.
• Thompson's performance at Texas Tech included a 14-for-15 clip in the second half. His 93.3% completion rate in the final 30 minutes was highest in one half (minimum 15 attempts) by a K-State quarterback since Josh Freeman went 15-for-16 (93.75%) in the first half at Colorado in 2006.
• At Kansas, Thompson connected on 12 of his first 13 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. He finished the game by completing 79.2% of his passes (19-of-24), the second-highest percentage of his career.
FIRST IN SCHOOL HISTORY
• During the game at Texas Tech, Skylar Thompson became the first player in school history to throw for 6,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a career.
• Additionally, the Independence Missouri, native ranks in the top 10 in school history in 15 career categories. A detailed list of records can be found on pages 58-60.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
• A product of Round Rock, Texas, Deuce Vaughn has 987 rushing yards this season as he is close to producing the 17th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history.
• It would only be the third time in school history a freshman or sophomore reached 1,000 rushing yards in a year, a feat accomplished by sophomore Darren Sproles in 2002 (1,465) and sophomore Cornelius Davis in 1966 (1,028).
• Vaughn currently ranks third in school history in rushing yards by a sophomore.
• Coming into the Baylor game, Vaughn has carried the ball 179 times this year as he eyes being one of the fastest players in school history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season.
ALL-PURPOSE BACK
• A product of Round Rock, Texas, Deuce Vaughn is the only player in the nation with 900 or more rushing yards and 400 or more receiving yards.
• Vaughn ranks eighth in the nation in yards from scrimmage (141.4 yard per game), while he ranks 10th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game.
• With 13 more rushing yards and 73 more receiving yards, Vaughn can become the fourth player in Big 12 history and just the third nationally in the last five years with 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a single season.
ON THE RECEIVING END
• An accomplished receiver both out of the backfield and from the slot, Deuce Vaughn ranks second in school history among running backs/fullbacks with 861 career receiving yards, while he his fourth in receptions (65).
• Vaughn ranks second in the nation in receiving yards by a running back since the beginning of 2020.
• Vaughn leads all Big 12 running backs in receptions (40) and yards (427) this year, while he is second in TD catches (3).
• Vaughn is trying to become the first player in school history with 1,000 career yards as both a rusher and a receiver. The closest a Wildcat came to accomplishing that feat was Mack Herron (1968-69), who had 1,244 receiving yards and 815 rushing yards.
• If Vaughn hit the 1,000/1,000 mark, he would be one of only 11 players in Big 12 history to do so. However, if he did so this year, he would become just the second to reach the milestone as a sophomore (Taurean Henderson, Texas Tech), which would be impressive considering Vaughn's young career included a shortened 10-game freshman season in 2020 due to COVID-19.
WELL-TRAVELED TIGHT END
• Transfer tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe is making a splash with the Cats in his seventh and final season of college football.
• Imatorbhebhe is third among Big 12 tight ends with 274 receiving yards. That mark includes touchdowns of 68 yards (vs. Nevada) and 73 yards (vs. TCU), the latter being the second-longest reception by a tight end in school history.
• He is the only tight end in the nation this year with two receptions of 65 yards or longer, while he is the first K-State tight end with two in a season since at least 1977.
• K-State is Imatorbhebhe's fourth FBS school as he signed and went through spring practices with Florida in 2015, transferred to USC for the 2015 through 2019 seasons and spent the 2020 campaign at Illinois.
MALIK MAKING MOVES
• Wide receiver Malik Knowles became the 33rd player in school history to eclipse the career 1,000-yard receiving mark during the Kansas game.
• Knowles, who enters this week with 1,042 career yards, has 10 career receiving touchdowns to sit just one shy of entering the school's top-10 list.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
RUN STOPPERS
• K-State has allowed just 1,130 total yards rushing on 329 carries, as the Wildcats rank 19th nationally and third in the Big 12 in rushing yards allowed per game (113.0).
• It is a stark difference from last season as the Wildcats allowed 177.2 rushing yards per game to rank 78th in the nation and seventh in the league.
• K-State's current mark of 113.0 rushing yards allowed per game rank eighth in the nation and is the best mark since the 2009 team allowed 105.4 yards per game.
FEWER EXPLOSIVES
• One area of emphasis for the Wildcat defense in 2021 was to limit opponents' explosive plays. Through the first 10 games, K-State has allowed 37 plays of 20 or more yards to rank third in the Big 12.
• It is the Wildcats' fewest 20-plus yard plays allowed through 11 games since the 2014 team surrendered 29. In 10 games last year, K-State conceded 60 plays of 20 or more yards.
BEHIND THE LINE
• K-State has tallied at least six tackles for loss in eight of the 10 games this year, as 24 players have at least a half TFL.
• With 68 TFLs this year, K-State is on pace for 88 tackles for loss this year, which would be its highest mark since the 2006 team had 91 to tie for eighth in school history.
• The Wildcats tallied a season-high 10 TFLs against TCU, the most since they had 13 at Baylor last year.
MEET ME AT THE QB
• Through 10 games, K-State is ranked second in the Big 12 at 2.60 sacks per game (26 total).
• Kansas State has at least one sack in 31 of the 33 games since Chris Klieman took over as head coach in 2019 with the lone non-sack games being the 2019 opener against Nicholls and this year against Iowa State.
• Last season, K-State totaled 28 sacks in 10 games, which were the most for the Wildcats during an entire season since a 13-game 2016 campaign (30).
• K-State is on pace for 34 sacks, which would be its highest mark since the 2015 team had 38.
STRONG AT THE START
• The K-State defense has been strong at the beginning of games since the start of 2020 as 13 of the Wildcats' last 20 opponents have come up empty on their first possession of the game.
• Over the last 20 games, K-State has allowed only 22 total first downs (1.1 per game), while drives have covered just 560 total yards (28.0 yards).
• Included in that span is four three-and-outs and interceptions this year against Nevada and West Virginia.
DEPTH IN THE SECONDARY
• Of the six defensive transfers K-State brought in prior to the 2021 season, four are in the secondary.
• Including the 2021 season, that group has combined for 102 career Division I starts by Julius Brents, Cincere Mason, Reggie Stubblefield and Russ Yeast.
• Pairing the 102 starts from the transfers with the rest of the secondary, the Wildcats are currently at 186 combined career starts by defensive backs.
KING FELIX
• Defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah has broken out during his sophomore season as he leads the nation in forced fumbles (6), ranks third in sacks (11.0) and seventh in tackles for loss (14.0).
• A native of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Anudike-Uzomah has 11.0 sacks this season to tie for fifth in school history, and he is just a half sack shy of tying the school record.
• Ranking fourth on the team in tackles with 42, Anudike-Uzomah has 14.0 TFLs this year as 33.3% of his tackles have resulted in lost yardage.
• Anudike-Uzomah has recorded at least 3.0 sacks in two games, one of only three players in the nation this year to accomplish that feat and the first in school history with two 3.0-sack games in a season.
FELIX'S HISTORIC GAME
• Felix Anudike-Uzomah tallied 4.0 sacks, forced two fumbles and eight tackles against TCU, earning him three national defensive player of the week accolades in addition to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• His four sacks tied the school record originally set by Chris Johnson at Missouri in 2000. However, Anudike-Uzomah was close to tying the NCAA record of 6.0.
• His two forced fumbles came on potential sacks that caused the ball to be recovered beyond the original line of scrimmage, thus making them rushes by NCAA rule. If the ball had been recovered on the TCU side of the line – regardless of who recovered – those two would have been counted as sacks to tie the FBS record and break the Big 12 mark.
DEFENSE'S "DEUCE"
• Nicknamed "Deuce" by the defensive staff, linebacker Daniel Green has been impressive as a full-time starter for the first time in his career.
• Green leads the team with 63 tackles and ranks second with 9.5 tackles for loss despite missing two full halves this year due to targeting calls.
• A product of Portland, Oregon, Green has totaled nine tackles in three different games this season, coming against Stanford, Nevada and TCU. It is the second time in three years a Wildcat has posted at least nine tackles in three different games (Elijah Sullivan in 2019).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• One of the main reasons the Wildcats have been a successful program the last three decades is a knack for momentum-swinging plays in the return game.
• Since 2005 (17 seasons), the Wildcats have a combined 58 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns, 21 more than second-place Alabama (37) and 27 more than the next closest Big 12 team (Oklahoma State: 31).
• Of the 58 total returns, a nation-leading 31 are on kickoff returns. The next closest team is San Diego State with 19.
DEFENSE ON KICK RETURNS
• On the flipside, K-State has excelled in kickoff-return defense, as the Wildcats have gone 108-consecutive games and 351 kickoff returns defended without allowing a score. The last team to take one to paydirt on K-State was Louisiana in 2013.
• K-State 108-game streak ranks seventh in the nation behind Florida State (232), Memphis (167), Akron (130), Virginia Tech (113), UTEP (111) and New Mexico (109).
• The Wildcats have scored 14 kickoff-return touchdowns since surrendering their last one.
KNOWLES WITH A KNACK
• Junior Malik Knowles is the latest K-State kickoff return man with a knack of finding the end zone as he has three in his career, which includes scores this year against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
• Knowles is tied for fourth in school history in both career and single-season kickoff return touchdowns, while he is tied for fourth nationally among active players in career kickoff-return scores.
• Additionally, he holds a 32.1-yard average this year and a 28.1-yard average for his career. His mark this season ranks third in the nation, while his career figure ranks seventh nationally among active players. Both marks are also currently sixth in school history in their respective categories.
ZENTNER HAS BEEN IMPRESSIVE
• Punter Ty Zentner has averaged 45.0 yards per punt overall this year to rank third in the Big 12. His average would rank in the top 25 nationally if he had six more punts to meet the NCAA required minimum.
• In Big 12 games only, Zentner has averaged 47.5 yards per punt, which includes a league-leading 11 punts of 50 or more yards. Last season, Zentner only had five total punts of 50 or more yards.
• At Texas Tech, Zentner had a single game career-best average of 55.7 yards per punt, which ranks 11th in the nation for a game this season.
• One of his punts against the Red Raiders was a 63-yarder – the second longest of his career – which immediately preceded at K-State safety that swung the game in the Wildcats' favor.
BROOKS LOOKS TO ADD TO IMPRESSIVE RESUME
• Junior Phillip Brooks was one of the top return men in the nation last season as he was a Third Team All-American selection after averaging 23.7 yards on 11 attempts.
• This year, Brooks has earned Preseason All-America honors from Phil Steele, USA TODAY, CBS Sports and 247Sports.
• A product of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Brooks ranks second in school history and tied for sixth in Big 12 history with three punt-return touchdowns, while he has 454 career punt-return yards to rank 10th in school history.
• He ranks second nationally among active players in yards per return (16.8) and first in punt-return touchdowns (3).
TENNANT SEES FIRST ACTION
• True freshman Chris Tennant has served as the primary kicker each of the last three games, as he is 3-for-5 on field-goal attempts and a perfect 13-for-13 on extra points.
• Tennant is the first true freshman at K-State to make a field goal since Joe Rheem went 4-of-6 on field goals in 2001.
Players Mentioned
DE
/ Football
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
OL
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
PK
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ Football
P/K
/ FootballK-State Football | Game 7 ⚒️ TCU Victory Highlight
Thursday, October 16
GAME REPLAY | FB vs TCU
Tuesday, October 14
K-State Football | Postgame Highlights vs TCU
Sunday, October 12
K-State Football | Head Coach Chris Klieman Postgame Press Conference - October 11, 2025
Sunday, October 12